Automatic fuel-regulating device for steam-power plants



Aug. 2l, 1928. v c.-A. FRENCH ET AL AUTOMATIC FUEL REGULATING DEVICE FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS Filed Nov. 25, 1924 atto: nu#

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

j UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES, A. nennen' No RUSSELL re. WATERMAN, or' LONG'BEACH, eerrromm, As`

` sIGNQs ToFARMERsNATroNeL BANK TRUSTEE, or GREENVILLE/011120, A COR- TORATION' or omo.

AUTOMATIC FUEL-,REGULATING Beuren rom STEAM-POWER PLANTS.-

Applicaton filed NoreinberE, 1824 Serial No; 752,274.v

Our invention` relates to regulating vices, eindi moreV particularly to; adevlce tor: automatically regulating thel fuel! supply u to the main lire of the-hydrocarbon burner oli ai steam boiler.

The general object o? our; ilflvjntion is *to provide a; stealififpressure` operatedE regulating device forregulating the main vlire andfheat 1 of the `hydrocarbeitburnerof a steam boiler to maintain; the. steam pressure in said;y boiler between. pnedeterminedf limits. vA more particularobect isA to provldea yregulating;device of this class `for regulating the supply of ueli from a` carbnreter simultaneously with the cont'rolwof the .air to abunner.y e a l Y A further object is tolproyide a regulating device which will be positive liin itsI action; and` which. will eiect complete openingl and closing of the fuel supplyyfilvest'o a burner.

lilith these andi other objects-y invyiew as will appearhereinafter..fou-r invention con.n

,sists of certain novel;V features-.ef const-ructioncoinbination and arrangement of parts and1portions7,asunill be1 hereinafter described inF detail and particularly set fo-rthin the appendedi claims,4 reference beingvhad toythe aeeoinpanying :drawings and tol, the @here aotersort y retereneethereon, lwhichforni a" part of this'lapplication,`ingyvhichrV Y Eigunefl isv a; flfontzvi ew of our regulating device with the cover reino-ved and showing,- by dotted lines the air Valve closed; lilig. 2i

, is, a, verticali Vlongi-tudinal; section, et` our regulnting; deviceT taken. onE line 2,12 ot Fig.

'Land showingcertainfparts and portions in.y elevatioin tofaeilitate the illustration and..` sh'owingtheainualye open; Eig. yisa uerf4` tical seetfion` ofy the supply valve to theI burner. taken 'oli` line oiFig.'y 2 showing the? luel and. air 4valves open;y and. Fig. ,4v isV a View similarto.'Fig;` 3 with, fuel and air valves shown.closed.V g

Lilie, characters of reference.

similar parts and, portions` throughout, the

several vlewsof tlie drawings.;

vRei"erring"indetail to. thev drawing, lV inf.

dicatesa casinggclosedfby acoveniyhich is`` secured on the frontvofthe casingbyt boltsA 3..

` Ontlierrear Wall othe casing lnearthebot.-

i tonio the casing is formed varrinlternal:em-

bossin'ent 4 through. which, andthe rear. wall. extendsa bolt 5, the head v6 of Whichbelt beingonthe inner end..tlierejg.V AbalLb'earrefer te slot 389i ing- 7, fits on theinnerendy of the bolt 5and a 11u-t S'ScreWs on thev outer end .of the bolt against theoutside of the rear Wall of casing lAA whereby the` head; 6 of the bolt is caused Vto' holC-lithe ballbearing 7 against the inner endot `fthe .elnbossment' 4. The outer ring` of the-ball bearing 7 is secured in the lowei` end; of a. balancing; arm 9 so .that said` arm turns on said bearing. A segmental gear l is formedfon the upper end of arm 9. andl meshes with. a pinionll secured on the inner end oil ashaft 12k-within the casing l, which "shaft projects rearwardly through an open-i ing 13 in the rear` wallxotsaid casing and extends transversely AWithin a burner i air duct ld; and4 is journaled in a; bearing l5" in the wall. of;y 'Sad duct. A! valve member 1.6, securedxon the shaft l2 in the duct lll. yThe duct V14 leads into a burner (not shown.) which. burnen may be located under a stemn boiler. rfliellowcr yportion of' .the arm 9, is formed With a pairpofz-shoulders,17" andr 18 opposite sides of the boltv or fulcruin of tlie erin, on which. shoulders rest hardened steel seat, blocks. 19' and 2O,A respectively, ,there being doWels .@lfandT 22 Q depending from ,said seats. respectively inte bores 234 ande in said shoulders. respectively whereby v{sa-id seats are held Vorrsaid 'shoulders.A Lugs 2,5

tiluely engaging tllie upper ends ol. set ,screws 27. and" 128 seated infthe lowerwall of the casing l whereby the, rocking inoveinent of the, anni 9' isy limited in.; either direction; Locil;' nutsV 29 :md80 are fitted onthe Set screWsZTfaiid 2,8 'or'engaging the loWerfWall i9; sad. screws 11i fad e'ftlie. casing 'QrloclL u y Justed. positions. Tlie'seat blocks 19 and, 2O

are l'formed in their u'pperflaces with knife edge` Seatsl and 3:2 respect-iyely.k i

Angle hangers and 34 are bolted by bolts 35 and BGtOthe rea-1" Wallet the cesf. ingfl inV the upper part of said. casing. The

-l1all`g`en33"I is formed withV an. arcuate flange 3T atits lower edgeJhe curuatureroif.which' flange being an arc describedfrom the-knife edge seat. 31 Vasa center. 'Said flangel isV provided W.it.- l1.'al slot e The hanger 34 is` foi-ined; Withf an arcuate' flangev 38 at itsilower; edge, the curvature of: Wliioh ilangebeing'anr4 are described :from the knife edge seat 32j as ateenter.1

'Ehe Hnge 35iy is provided: `with 'af' is closed.

-justably secured tothe flange 37 bya bolt 452 extending through the slot 37EL in said flange whereby the expansion means is adjustably secured in .position with lits axis extending through the `knife edge seat `31. The expansion means 40 is encased in acylindrical guide 43 and bears at its lower` end against the lower end 44 of said guide which lowerjend is formed withl a dependV inghardened steel knife edge45 which rests in the knife edOe seat 31. The adjusting'v head 41 is formed withl a pipe'connection 46 and with a duct 47 leading from said pipe connection into the expansion means 40. A pipe 48 is connected tothe pipe connection 46.

A spring 50 rests at its lowervend upon a seat 51'and bears at its upper end against a spring adjusting head V52. The yseat v51 is formed with a hardened steel knife edge 53 which rests in they knife edge seat 32. Saidv seat is also formed with an upstandingy guide rod 54 which extends upwardly through the springO and into atubular guide member 55 depending from the radjusting head 52. The spring adjusting head 52 is adjustably secured to the under, side of flange 38 of hanger34 bya bolt 56 which extends through slot 38a. f

To the valve 16l is'secured an arcuate fuel valve member provided with an opening' 61 which valve member extends across the discharge end of a carbureter air balaiicing pipe 63 which projects into the duct 14. The operation of my regulating device is as-follows: I y S lVlientlie pressure is normal the arm'9 inclines'to the left and the valve is open when the pressure runs-high said arm swingsto the rightas shown in Fig. 1 and the valve,

Steam boilerpressure is conducted through pipe 4S' and duct47'into the eX-rk pansion means 40 which, when a predetermined pressure is reached eXpandst-he means 40 downwardly, fand the lower end of the expansion means, engaging the lower' end wall 44 of the guide 43, forces said guide downwardly as shown-in Fig. 1. The' downward movement of the guide, through ythe engagement of knife edge 45 with seat 131, swings the 'balancing arm 9 to the `right. against the tension of the spring 50, and such movement of the balancing arm', through the segmental gear 10, pinion 11, and shaft 12, swings the valve 16 closed which stops air passing through the duct 14 to the burner. The carbureter-air bal;-l ancing valve 60 covers and closes the end ofthe carbureter 4air balancing pipe 63 eX# f cept when the air valve 16 is Vfully open, in which position of the air valve vthe port 61 not shown) As the ,balancing arm 9 is swung to the.

right by .the expansion means to close the valve, the leverage ofthe expansion means upon the' balancing arm increases whiley the leverageof the-spring ddecreases, thus causing the valve to be rapidly 'and/fully closedand to be held' closed until there is a deifinitedrop in the boiler' pressure and the power-of the spring'with itsdecreased leverage upon the `*balancing arm overcomes the power of lthe expansionfmeans and its increased leverage upon the balancing arm, whereupon the balancing armk isswungfto the left and 4valve 16 opened. The valve remains open until the boiler pressure rises to.

the original predetermined closing point.

Upon y loosening the nuts 42 and 56 the adjusting heads 41 and-52mayv be shifted on the flanges 37 and 38 tovary tliefleverage ofV the expansion means 40 and spring 50 uponythe balancing `'a-rni'whereby therange between opening sures may be varied'.y n p l'Ihougli we have shown and described a particular. construction, combination and arand closing presrangementof parts and portions and cer-l tain iiiodications thereof, we do not wish to he limited modifications' but desire to include in the tok this particular construction, Vcon'ibination and arrangement nor to -the lInu `scope of our invention the construction,"

combinationa'nd arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

" Having thus described our invention what we claim as new rand desire to secure bv Letters Patent, ist"y 'Y f o 1. afi-eg'ulating devicejof the character asl disclosed, a substantially"upright balancn ing 4lariina valve, gear and rack means wherebysaid valveeis opened for closed by saidbalancing arm, pressure operated means actingupon said arm for swinging'said arm l said balancing arm, an expansion means connected toa source of steampressure, a

guide 'encasing said rexpansion means 'and engagingsaidbalancing yarm for swinging said arm toclose `said valve when the eX- pansion" means is l` expanded,jand a 'spring acting valve.

1n' 'av regulatingdevicefof the character Jupon arintending to yopen said lll as disclosed, a balancing arin, a Valve,irneans vsaid balancing arin, an expansion nieans connected 'to avsource of steam pressure, a, guide eneasingsaid expansion ineans, ,a knife edge on said guide, al seat'on said bal--v ancing arni engaged byjsaid knife edge for swinging ksaid arni to close said Valve when the expansion ineans is expanded, a spring seat, a knife edge formed on' said spring seat, a seat on saidbalancing arin, in which said knife edge rests, a guidey rod on said spring seat, a spring head, 4a guide member on said spring head in which said guide rod reciinfocates, and a spring between said spring seat and spring head surrounding said guide rod and guide nieinber, said spring'acting in opposition to ksaid expansion ineans vfor opening said Valve.

ny a regulating device of ythe character as disclosed, a balancing arin, a yalve,ineans whereby said valve 1s Opened or closed by said balancing arin, a pressure operatedy means applied to ysaid arin at one side ol the fulcrurn thereof for swingingsaidarm to close said valve, the leverage of said )ressure means upon said arm increasing' ,L 2'! as tbe arin is swung by said pressure,mreans to close said valve, and a spring applied to vthe other side of the fulcriun of said balancing arin for swinging said arm to open said Valve, the leverage of said spring upon said arm decreasing as the arin is swung by the spring to openilie valve.

6. In a regulating device ofthe character as disclosed, a balancing arm, a valve, means whereby said Valve' is opened or closed by said balancing arin, a pressure Voperated means applied to'said arm at one side of the fulcruin thereof for swinging said` arm to close said valve, the leverage oi said pressure means upon jsaid arin increasing as the arin is swung by said pressure means to close said valve, and a spring' applied to the otherside ofthe fulerinn of' said balancing arni for swinging said arin to open said yalre, the leverage ol said spring upon said arin decreasing as the arin is' swung bythe spring to open the valve and ineens for adjusting the positions of said pressure ropratedv means and said lspring tofvary the leverage thereorI upon said balancing arnito provide 'for ashor'tl or long range between opening and closing pressures.

.ln testimony whereof, we have hereunto selour hands atY Los Angeles California this n 13th day o'lililoveinber, 1924. f f

,CHARLES A. FRENCH.-

nUssnLL n. WATERMAN. 

